Zoe Konstantopoulou, lawyer for Panos Ruci, the father of a Tempi rail disaster victim who is on hunger strike, said on Monday that none of the family’s requests have been approved by judicial authorities — contradicting reports that toxicology tests on exhumed victims’ bodies had been authorised by the Larissa prosecutor’s office.
“At this time, no action has been ordered on any of the family’s requests,” Konstantopoulou told reporters during a press conference. “All of our applications have either been rejected or remain unanswered. There has been no positive response to any of them.”
She accused unnamed officials of “playing with his soul and his life”, and described the situation as “an orchestrated attempt to bury the truth” about the causes of death of the Tempi victims.
Accusations of interference and political pressure
Konstantopoulou sharply criticised the government, alleging political interference in the judiciary and claiming that some judicial officials were being discouraged from performing their duties. “It is obvious that the government controls the justice system and dictates its actions,” she said, adding that she would not back down “even an inch” from pursuing justice for the Ruci family.
She further claimed that procedures were being “manipulated to obscure the case,” calling it “an insult” to the memory of the victims. According to the lawyer, the case file on how Dennis Routsis died does not yet include the family’s formal requests and submissions, which she described as “a sign of judicial strangulation by political power.”
Family demands full forensic transparency
Konstantopoulou reiterated that the Ruci family seeks only truth and justice — specifically, to learn “how and why their son died.” She urged prosecutors to appoint independent and qualified experts, ideally from abroad, to ensure credibility.
“The legal path forward,” she said, “is not to assign half-measures to police officers with no forensic expertise, but to appoint experienced specialists, unconnected to the Justice Ministry or the coroner services already involved in the Tempi case.”
She concluded by emphasising that the family will not accept any partial or politically influenced investigation, vowing to continue pressing for comprehensive and transparent forensic testing.
Background
Panos Ruci has been on hunger strike in Athens for over three weeks, demanding toxicological and biochemical tests on his son’s body, arguing that DNA identification alone is insufficient. His protest has drawn widespread public support and renewed attention to the 2023 Tempi rail tragedy, Greece’s deadliest train accident, which killed dozens and sparked ongoing judicial and political controversy.
